The chamber where the Floor Guardian had fallen was silent at last. The pool of corrupted ichor was already dissolving into nothingness, as if the dungeon itself was sealing its wound.
Kael leaned against his glaive, exhaustion pressing against his bones. His summons circled near him, their bodies aglow with faint aftershocks of evolution. Yet even amidst the quiet, the System's presence loomed sharper than ever.
System Announcement
[Floor 2 Cleared.][Descent to Next Floor Available in: 48 Hours.][Warning: Next Floor Type – World Instance.][Objective: Conquer 30 Mini-Bosses and 15 Major Bosses before the Final Core Boss may be challenged.]
Kael's lips tightened. A world inside the dungeon…? The Abyss wasn't just growing—it was expanding like an infection across dimensions. The "floors" were evolving into whole ecosystems, and he was trapped inside.
A new menu unfolded in front of his eyes, runes etching themselves into reality.
[Skill Store Feature Unlocked.][Skill Points acquired retroactively: 102.][Notice: Available Skill Tier limited by Summoner's Level – Current Limit: F, E, D Rank.][Higher Rank Skills unlock as Summoner progresses.]
Kael's eyes narrowed. So it isn't giving me free rein yet. Makes sense. If I could buy A-rank at level 17, it'd break everything.
The restriction was a leash. The dungeon—or perhaps the System itself—wanted him to earn his way upward, layer by layer, even in growth.
Total = 102 SP
One hundred and two points. Enough to reshape himself and his summons completely.
Kael summoned each companion forward, one by one, watching their forms settle into their post-evolution states.
Pyraflame – Flame Sovereign Drake
Rank: RareLevel: 13Path: AssaultCore Stability: 73%
Skills:
Inferno Burst (D): Expel concentrated flame in a cone.
Molten Claws (C): Enhance talons with molten strike.
Blazing Roar (C): Area-wide fear + burn.
Flame Sovereignty (B – Locked until higher Store Access): Boosts Pyraflame's fire damage by 25%, scales with rage.
Devour (Passive – Abyssal Infusion): Absorb abyssal cores and flesh to expand mana pool permanently.
The last skill sent a chill down Kael's spine every time he read it. It had no drawbacks, no backlash. Only growth. Already, Pyraflame's flames burned with a density far beyond before, its core thrumming with stolen abyssal energy.
"This one's not a summon anymore," Kael whispered. "It's a walking calamity."
Aquara – Tidecaller Spirit
Rank: UncommonLevel: 12Path: Defense/Support
Skills:
Aqua Lance (D): Launch spear of condensed water.
Soothing Current (C): Heal allies in range.
Tidal Barrier (C): Dome of protective water.
Tidecaller's Blessing (B – Locked until higher Store Access): Boosts resistances.
Aquara pulsed faint blue, still faintly shimmering from her purification trial. Her aura carried serenity Kael hadn't realized he missed until now.
Luminara – Seraph's Dawn
Rank: UncommonLevel: 10Path: Support/Utility
Skills:
Radiant Bolt (E): Holy projectile.
Shield of Dawn (D): Defensive barrier.
Guiding Light (C): Boost allies' precision.
Sanctified Grace (Unranked – Evolution Pending).
Her light was subtle, not blinding, but Kael noticed it seemed to push the stench of the abyss away just by existing. She would be pivotal in the world-floor ahead.
Umbra – Shadow Stalker
Rank: UncommonLevel: 13Path: Assassin
Skills:
Shadow Fang (E): Bite with devouring strike.
Veil of Night (D): Brief invisibility.
Devour (C): Consume abyssal essence for growth.
Night Predator's Hunger (Unranked – Evolution Pending).
Umbra's black form pulsed hungrily in the silence, its bar ticking forward
Kael smirked faintly. One heart away. Then you'll become something far more dangerous.
The Skill Store hummed in his mind. Skills scrolled endlessly, neatly categorized: combat techniques, summons' enhancements, survival abilities.
He tested the filters:
F-Rank: Basics. "Iron Body," "Lesser Mana Manipulation," "Sharpen."
E-Rank: Foundations. "Quickstep," "Mana Reinforcement," "Pierce Strike."
D-Rank: Combat-ready. "Energy Infusion," "Summoner's Link," "Mana Burst."
Kael clicked his tongue. "So the System isn't just handing me power. It's… curating it. What I see depends on the Abyss itself."
The lore clicked into place. The Abyss was hostile, yes, but its energy was also fertile ground—corruption and growth intertwined. His summons gained conditions tied to Abyssal creatures because they were evolving in reaction to their environment. And now, the Skill Store showed skills that had resonance with the Abyss.
Kael sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "It's all connected. The Abyss doesn't just want to kill us… it wants to see who survives it."
The timer burned at the corner of his vision.
[47:52:41 until Forced Descent.]
Two days. Enough time to plan, to recover, to strategize his Skill Point distribution.
Kael sat down cross-legged, his glaive across his knees, watching his summons rest. Pyraflame's flames dimmed, Aquara rippled faint light, Luminara radiated soft warmth, Umbra merged with the shadows.
For the first time since falling into the Abyss, he allowed himself a breath of calm.
But in the back of his mind, one thought gnawed at him:If the next floor is a world… how many will fall before we reach its end?